Comm - Don't Change That Channel (2024) (Patreon)

Lite Shaded: Don't Change That Channel (Commissioner: Piroshki)

"It's almost time for the marathon to start, did you finish up the popcorn yet?"

Piro sighed as he slumped back on the couch, flipping through various cable channels with the remote. Every few minutes he would channel surf before deciding to flip back to the movie channel's marathon countdown commercials.

"Popcorn things comes to those who wait~! I've just started a bag, it should be ready in under 2 minutes." His roommate proudly announced from the other room.

Glancing at the time on his phone, he grew ever more impatient for things to get started. "Only three more minutes to go! Better hurry up or you'll miss the opening!" Piro returned to flipping channels, but after landing on a national geographic live broadcast, the remote buttons seemed to stop working outright. "Uh, we got any fresh batteries? I might have a remote problem out here..."

"It seems we've found our first specimen, let us get a closer look at this adult male. He seems very interested in our camera crew..." The documentary researcher on the mic quietly whispered as their shot zoomed in on the face of the large roo.

"My my, how interesting indeed, he seems to be performing some sort of bonding ritual with our camera man..! Can we get a closer shot from the front, let's move in for a closer peek."

Piro stared, tapping the button on his remote and fiddling with the batteries in the back hoping to get just a small bit of juice from swapping them. This seemed to work, but despite the remote working again, every channel on the tv was now this strange live documentary.

"What happened to all the other channels? Is this somebody's idea of a prank?" Piro scoffed annoyed, that is, until he watched the camera man standing near the roo start to double over in pain, dropping his camera as he groaned and fell to his knees. Guttural strange noises coming out of his mouth as his pants began to bulge. The rest of the documentary team gasping in horror, quiet background whispers could be heard, pleading for someone to go check if he's alright. Then a scream, as a kangaroo tail released from his torn pants, swaying wildly. He'd already started growing claws and a pelt of fur...

Piro leaned in closer, eyes and mouth open wide in shock and unable to look away. Was it CGI? This... couldn't be real, right? This had to be fake, like the broadcast? Right? He was completely hooked now, as his clock hit one minute to marathon show time. Suddenly, the camera view swung back toward the strange kangaroo staring down the team, there was something unsettling about it's eyes, something exotically enticing, inviting. The rest of the crew could be heard off camera making the same noises as the earlier camera man, but the kangaroo's eyes were transfixed at the camera itself. Hypnotic spirals were constantly swirling and were far too mesmerizing to look away.

"It’s looking… directly at…”, Piro tried to speak before his words faded, as did his focus. He didn’t need to think, he just needed to keep watching… needed to sink. The kangaroo spoke directly into everyone's mind, mimicking the earlier words of the documentary host to everyone watching...

It wouldn’t take long either before his fate mirrored that of the others on screen.

And everyone else who was currently watching.